Tag: election

APR 20, 2012 - The youth vote is crucial for Obama in his bid for reelection, so the President has commenced a tour of key states pushing for Congress to extend the lower interest rates on student loans. The 3 state tour, through North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa will be aimed at young people who lately have been strapped with student debt once they leave college. If Congress doesn't act, rates will double after July 1 to 6.8%. Read more on Reuters.com here.   (photo credit: graciepoo/Flickr)

(Photo credit: pussy-riot.livejournal.com)

FEB 27, 2012 - Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist punk musical activist band who stages illegal concerts and protests, often from rooftops, protesting issues such as women's rights in Russia and most recently the policies and re-election campaign of Prime Minister Putin. Wearing skimpy outfits even in cold weather and stylish balaclavas, they release Internet videos of their illegal concerts in public places. Recently they managed to stage a concert in strictly guarded Red Square, and were arrested. After being held for 5 hours, they were fined 500 rubles (about $17 US) and released. On their website they say, “We Believe That the Soviet Union's Aggressive Imperial Politics are Similar in many Ways to Putin's course. The way the State treats its Citizens hasn't changed much since the times of the USSR; there is still paternalist supervision and police control over people.” They add, “Some of us are anarchists, leftist Have some Liberal Positions. We would like horizontal political activity, self-organization and the capability to be aware of oneself as an equal participant in civil politics, to understand one's rights and fight for them to develop. Russian Society lacks tolerance and lenience.”

If you have Google Chrome, you can use the translator to check out their site here, where you can see pics of them staging one of their public protest concerts at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral which ruffled a lot of feathers. Check out one of their videos below.